Normally a simple and straightforward business plan is a good thing but Dholakiya says that’s not the case with link building strategies. He suggests SEOs avoid basic plans that can be easily copied by deep-pocketed competitors. After all, you don’t want to get into a link building arms race with the competition.

Change is Constant

Anyone with a passing familiarity with Penguin can tell you that change can be a big pain in the butt but it’s definitely part of the SEO landscape. Link building strategies that work great one day can tank an entire site the next.

The crummy part about change is that it’s so horribly unpredictable. At best, webmasters need to keep in mind that SEO practices come and go and banking too much on one of them can cause trouble.

This Time It’s Personal

Content marketing gurus regularly peddle formulas for guest blogging and link building outreach but Dholakiya isn’t buying any of them. Link building today means ditching the one-size-fits-all approach and proving your worth to each potential partner.

Know Your Content Format

Content goes way beyond simple blog posts and articles, so understanding when to use each format is pretty important. More often than not you’re selling yourself short when you fall into a content rut.

You never really know what kind of content is going to take off, so a little experimentation is well worth your time.

Know Your Niches

The great thing about the Web is that targeting incredibly specific niches is relatively. That’s why Dholakiya recommends tailoring content and linking strategies to those micro-markets.

Given the success of bonus hunting sites, this seems like a pretty good strategy for the online gambling industry.

Finally

Link building is still a viable SEO strategy, it’s just nowhere near as straightforward as it once was. Getting past the cookie cutter approach requires a new mindset, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

How do you keep from getting into a link building rut? Share your strategies in the comments section below.